Tumbler



Sept. 27, 1938. G. w. TEMPLE 2,131,260, v

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Sept. 27,1938.` G. w. TEMPLE TUMBLER Filed Jan. 12,'1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 bm, Sw

INV NTOR elorge W 'emple A ONEY Patented sept. 27, 193s i UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE I i Y 2,131,260 ,I I

, TUMBLER Y Y u r(.leorge Temple, New York, N. Y., assignor to *i Victor Metal Productsl Corporation, Brooklyn,

N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application January 12, 1938, Serial No. 184,593

l v5 Claims. This invention relates` to slug-conditioning means and particularly tomechanism for cleaning, polishing and lubricating disc-like slugs of soft metal such as tin or aluminum, from which slugs collapsible tubes are later extruded.

Customarily, collapsible tubes are formed from discs of such soft metal by the extrusion of the discs in a suitable press to cause the metal of the discs to ow upwardly about a suitably shaped plunger or male die. If the slug from which the collapsible tube is thus extruded is not clean and comparatively smooth, the resulting collapsible tube is frequently defective. Furthermore, if the slug is not lubricated properly, either a defective tube is formed or the tube, if properly extruded and formed, may stick to the die and prevent it from being removed easily.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of means for cleaning, polishing and lubricating Va quantity of slugs while permitting the simultaneous cleaning and polishing ofY one batch of slugsV during the lubrication of` another batch. 1

" The invention further contemplates the provision of simple and efcient means whereby a batch of slugs may be quickly and easily advanced for the next succeeding operation thereon and for nal discharge from the device while automatically discharging th'e cleaning material,

dirt, dust, foreign matter and the excess lubri-y cant, so that the slugs nally conditioned by the machine are in the proper state to be fed to an machine.

Fig. 4 is a similar View of the same showing the gate in its closed position.`

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same.

In the practical embodiment of the invention which I have shown by way of example, the frame I0 of any suitable shape supports the various instrumentalities of the machine such as the hopper II which is provided with an open top I2 into which slug'smay be, fed from a suitable receptacle vsuch as the drum I3. Said drum is hoisted to the top of the frame I0 and tiltedto dump the slugs therefrom into the hopper. The chute I4r conducts the slugs by gravity from the hopper into the preferably conical or funnel-like end I5 of the tumbler I6. Said tumbler is kpreferably provided with a longitudinal shaft I1. arranged coaxially thereof and preferably passing therethrough in a position inclined to the horizontal, so that the tumbler is mounted with the slug entrance end I5 thereof. raised above the dis- I1 and the tumbler I6 mounted f by the motor 26. It will be understood that said motormayfbereadily controlled by means of a suitable switch, not shown, to start and stop the motor when desired in ay well-known manner.

As has been indicated, the tumbler I6 is divided into a plurality of compartments as 21, 28 and 29 arranged coaxially and end to end, a slug conditioning operation being preferably carried out in each compartment. Three such compart` ments have been shown though it will be obvious that any number of compartments may be pro-v vided if desired. As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, means are provided for supporting a gate between the compartments and at the ends of the tumbler and also for connecting the parts of the tumbler VWalls together to form a unit. Said means comprises a pair of `similar fixed and flanged Adiscs 30 and 3| spaced slightly apart and each provided with a hub as'32, 33 hel-d tor the shaft I1 by means of a Suitable set screw 34. The hub 32 is connected to the rim or flangev 35 of the disc 30 by meansof the web 36, said web having a series of spaced openings 31 therein (Figs. 3 and 5) separated by imperforate segmental portions 38. The disc 3l is provided with similar openings in its web registering with the openings 31.

Mounted for rotary movement between the rings is the disc gate 40, said gate being loosely pivoted on the shaft I1 and provided with spaced openings III of slightly less area than those of the openings 31, which openings 4I are. separated by the imperforate segments 42 of said disc. A

suitable handle as 43 projecting from the periphery of the disc is provided for easy manipulation of the gate during the rotation of the tumbler. The gate may easily be swung from its position shown in Fig, 3, in which the openings 31 and 4I are in registration to the position of Fig. 4 in which the openings are outl of registration and the gate is closed, and vice versa. Suitable fixed stops as u44 and 45 are secured to theouter surfaces ofv the discs 30 and 3| at the-proper places to limit the rotary movement of the gate and to determine the fully opened and closed positions thereof.

of the end part of the member 41 forming the outer wall or surface of the compartment (2,9, said member 41 being held in place in the recess by suitable screws, bolts or rivets. One end of the coarse wire screen member 48, forming the wall of the compartment 28, is similarly inserted into the recess 49 of the disc 3I, the other end of said member 48 being similarly inserted into the cor responding recess of the next disc between th" compartments 28 and 2.1 and` being similarlyheld in place. It will be understood ythat the discs 50, 5I and 52 at the ends of the compartments or between the compartments are similar to the discs 3.0 and 3| and hence require. no detailed de-l scription nor illustration.

' The inner end of the conical part I5 is also suitably shaped to t into a recess in the disc 50 which also receives the end of the wall member 41,

' it being understood that the disc 56 need not be `screen wall 48. Each ofthe wall members41,

openable to clean out each of the respective com-v 4B and 53 is provided with a suitable'opening.;

closed by a hinged `door as 56, said door Ybeing* provided with latch means asto keep it closed duringthe tumbling operation but being readily partments, or to remove jammedor broken slugs therefrom. i

In operation, a. drum I3 lled withv slugs is hoisted tothe top of the frame III and tilted to discharge the slugs thereinginto thek hopperV I.I,

the slugs being fed by gravity through the chutev I4 through the funnel I5 and into thecompartment 29, the gate 46 at theleft end of which,

, as viewed in Fig. 1', is closed. Suitable cleaning material such as sawdust or the like treated if desired to more efficiently perform its cleaning function, is inserted through the door 56 or through the open end I5 into the compartment 29. The door 56 having been closed', themotor 26 is started, causing rotation of the tumbler I6'.Y

The slugs withinthe compartment 29 are thereby Vtumbled with the sawdust or other material for ment 29 are permitted to iowv by gravity intothe screen compartment 28. The gate 4U may then be closed and. anotherfcharge of slugs Vand'clean-V ing material inserted into the compartment 29.- 'I'he .gate in* the disc 5I being closed, thefprocess is repeated with the slugs in the compartment 29 and simultaneously the slugs in the compartment 28 are tumbled to complete the polishing thereof, the sawdust or other foreign matter, dust and dirt dropping out of said compartment through the openings of the screen 48. The operation in the compartments 28 and 29 is carried on for a suflicient length of time to clean and polish the slugs in the rst compartment 2'9 and to complete the polishing of the cleaned slugs in the compartment 28. Thereafter, the gate in the disc 5I is I- opened to permit slugs from the compartment 28 to gravitate into the compartment 21. Similarly, On their inner surfaces, each of the outermost flanges of the discs is preferably provided withy a suitable annular recess as 46 for the reception' slugs from the compartment 29 are advanced to the compartment 28 and the compartment 29 reloaded. Suitable lubrication is poured through the screen 53 of the compartment 26 in the desired amount -tolubricate the slugs in said compartment thoroughly while said slugs are being vtumbled,the excess lubricant flowing out through thescreen wall 53. Finally,.the gate in the disc 52 is, opened to discharge the cleaned, polished and lubricated slugs into a. suitable receptacle 54.

It. will be seen that during the cleaning operation in one compartment, another batch of slugs is being polished in the next compartment while the third batch of slugs in the last compartment is being lubricated and that all the operations may be carried on simultaneously in the various compartments while permitting the advance of one batch of slugs to the next compartment with ease and rapidity.

It will further be seen that I have provided a simple machine for conditioning metal slugs whereby all necessary operations upon said slugs may be carried out in a single machine.

While I have shown and described certain speciiic embodiments of my invention, I do not wish toy be understoodas limiting myself thereto,`

but. intend'to claim the invention. as broadly as and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1.. In a machine for conditioning. soft metal slugs, an inclined shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a. plurality of fixed discs each having a number of spaced openings therein secured to the shaft, said discs.being arranged in pairs with the openings thereof in registration, a disc-like gate provided with similar openings arranged rotatably between the lixed discs of a-pair, and aseries of cylindrical members secured at their ends to.

the discs concentrically with the shaft, atl-least one ofsaid members being foraminated.

Y 2. In a` machine for conditioning soft metal.

slugs, a series'of compartments, gates providing communication between adjacent compartments, means for revolubly supporting the comparte ments in a. position inclined to the horizontaLxa hinged door forming par-t of the surface of each compartment, anda foraminated member forming the remaining surface of at least one of the compartments.

3. In a machine for conditioning soft metal slugs, a tubular member, means for supporting said member for rotation about. an inclined axis,

said member comprising a pluralityvof compart` ments, partitions provided with-openings therein arranged 'between the compartments. and onf at least one end of they member, a movable gatefon temporarily closing the openings in each of said.` partitions, and a door for each-ofsaid-compart-l ments.

4l In a machine for conditioning soft metalf slugs-av tubular member-comprising aser-ies of 751e compartments arranged end to end, gates between said compartments, and means for supporting the tubular member for rotation about an inclined axis, whereby on the opening of a gate, the slugs in the compartment on one side of the gate gravitate into the next succeeding compartment.

5. In a machine for conditioning soft `metal slugs, a revoluble inclined shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a-rst disc provided with spaced openings therein secured to the shaft intermediate the ends thereof, a second similar disc secured to the shaft in slight spaced relation to the rst mentioned disc, a third disc rotatably mounted on the shaft between the first and second discs, a handle on the third disc projecting beyond said discs and accessible for manual operation to cause the openings in said third disc to register with the openings in the first and second discs, said rst and second discs each having an annular recess therein, said cylindrical compartmentforming members concentric with-,the shaft and each arranged with an end thereof in one of said 10 l recesses. l

GEORGE W. TEMPLE. 

